36/18. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 2035b — Wipe the Plate with Care
It is recommended to lick one's fingers and wipe the bowl, and to eat a piece of food that is dropped after removing any dirt on it. It is disliked to wipe one's hand before licking it, because of the possibility that the blessing of the food may be in that remaining part. The Sunnah is to eat with three fingers
Hadith About Wiping the Plate and Blessing in Food
Sahih Muslim : 2035b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 2035b
وَحَدَّثَنِيهِ أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ نَافِعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ مَهْدِيٍّ - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ " وَلْيَسْلُتْ أَحْدُكُمُ الصَّحْفَةَ " . وَقَالَ " فِي أَىِّ طَعَامِكُمُ الْبَرَكَةُ أَوْ يُبَارَكُ لَكُمْ " .
Hammad Narrated from:
This hadith has been reported on the authority of Hammad with the same chain of transmitters, but with a slight variation of wording.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2035bIn-book reference : Book 36, Hadith 182USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 23, Hadith 5050
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 2035b
This narration is reported through the same chain with a slight wording difference. It mentions wiping the plate and says that blessing may be in any part of the food, or that blessing may be granted to you. The core topic is food etiquette in Islam. The hadith about barakah in food teaches that the plate should not be treated carelessly when the meal is done. What remains may be small, but the hadith asks the eater to value it. The wording also keeps the idea soft: the blessing may be in the food, or Allah may bless the eater through it. This is why the Sunnah of eating includes simple actions like licking fingers and wiping the plate. It is a way of eating with thankfulness, not waste.
What we learn from this hadith
- Wiping the plate is mentioned as part of careful eating manners.
- Blessing may be in a part of the meal people overlook.
- The narration records a slight wording variation without changing the main lesson.
- The hadith encourages respect for food until the meal fully ends.
